Nerium oleander
Nerium oleander L. (Apocynaceae)
Oleander
Flowers of Nerium oleander Nerium oleander shrub
Nerium oleander L. is a small shrub up to 2 m high. Leaves are very narrowly elliptic, 5-21 by 1-3.5 cm, dark green, without stipules, leathery and arranged in whorls of three. Flowers are showy and fragrant. Sepals are narrowly triangular to narrowly ovate, 3-10 mm. Corolla is purplish red, pink, white, salmon, or yellow. Fruits consist of cylindrical follicles, 12-23 cm. Seeds are oblong, coma, about 0.9-1.2 cm.
Origin
Native to southern Europe, and widely cultivated and naturalised in Asia, Europe and North America.
Phytoconstituents
Oleandroside, kaneroside, neriaside, nerigoside, neriu-moside, neridiginoside, nerizoside, neritaloside, proceragenin, neridienone A, cardenolides N-l to N-4 and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
The plant is used in Ayurveda to treat scabies, eye disease and haemorrhoids. It is used to treat parasitic infection in Calabria (Southern Italy). Leaf decoction is used to treat diabetes in southeastern Morocco. Bark, leaf, flower are used medicinally as a cardiotonic and diuretic.
Pharmacological Activities
Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antibacterial, Anticancer/Antineoplastic, Antifungal, Depressant, Antimitotic, Insecticidal, Larvicidal, Muscle stimulatory, and inhibits Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-/cB) activation.
Dosage
No information as yet.
Adverse Reactions
Depression, dizziness, stupor, headache, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal cramps, spontaneous abortion, hypersensitivity, contact dermatitis, hyperkalemia and tachypnea.
Toxicity
Toxic to humans and animals. The plant contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people. Ingestion can cause both gastrointestinal and cardiac effects and also affect the central nervous system.
Contraindications
Should not be used during pregnancy and lactation, in children and in persons with hypersensitivity to oleander. Should not be taken internally.
Drug-Herb Interactions
Fatal digitalis toxicity can occur with concurrent usage of cardiac glycosides such as digoxin and digitoxin. Concurrent use of quinidine, calcium salts, saluretics, laxatives or glucocorticids increases efficacy as well as side effects.
